Bring your gently used or new shoes to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon where Share Your Soles will be collecting shoes for people in need around the world. Share Your Soles will be onsite at the Chicago Marathon Health & Fitness Expo on Friday, October 8, and Saturday, October 9 and at the Chicago Marathon 27th Mile Post-Race Party on Sunday, October 10, 2010.
The Chicago Marathon Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center, North Building, Hall B1, and the Chicago Marathon 27th Mile Post-Race Party will be located in Grant Park's Butler Field.
Share Your Soles recognizes the importance of maintaining the dignity and self-respect of the individuals receiving the shoes. To the recipients, these shoes symbolize more than just a piece of footwear; they serve as a mode of transportation as well as a form of health insurance. Share Your Soles accepts all shoes but is especially in need of children's shoes, including cleats and other sport-specific shoes. Shoes that are lightly worn and clean are preferred.
"We might begin with shoes, but it doesn't end there. When you can make a small difference in a child's life by providing a simple basic necessity, such as a gently worn pair of shoes, you have made a difference in a profound way," says Mona Purdy, founder and executive director of Share Your Soles. "It's the collaboration of many dedicated people that keep our mission of providing these acts of kindness possible."
